Automatic control for the roll pressure device of flatwork ironers



H. J. SHIRLEY 'AUTQMATIC CONTROL FOR THE ROLL PRESSURE DEVICE OF FLATWORK IRONERS File'd Jan. 31, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.-

Fla-3 INVENTQR BIY'IARVEY J. SHIRLEY W 74W 6N Y A TO H. J. SHIRLEY AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR THE ROLL PRESSURE DEVICE 0F FLATWORK IRONERS Filed Jan. 31, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 13, .1940

AU'roMArio ooNTnoI. Fon THE ROLL PRESSURE DEVICE OF FLATWGRK ERS IRON- Harvey J. Shirley, Norwood, Ohio, assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January El, 1938, Serial No. 187,845

3 Claims.

This invention relates to ironing machines of the type in which the work is carried between a heated ironing member and a series of padded ironing rolls adjustable or movable into andout of ironing relation with said member. The inve'ntion has to do with the mechanism for so moving the rolls, which is designed for automatic control after it is set in operation by the operator. The invention is an improvement upon the mechanism shown, described and claimed in an application for Automatic pressure control for fiatwork ironers, Serial No. 187,826, filed of even date herewith by Norman S. McEwen and Shirley C. Ward, to which reference may be had for a more complete description if desirable or necessary. According to the invention of said application, roll adjusting movement toward and from the ironing member or chest is produced by clutch actuated reversing mechanism controlled by a hand lever. Movement of the hand lever in one direction couples the clutch and advances the rolls toward the chest, the advance motion being terminated automatically by cam devices. Movement of the hand lever in the opposite direction also couples the clutch but the rotation is in the opposite direction and the rolls are moved away from the chest, the operation being terminated at will by the operator and not automatically.

The present invention aims to improve the mechanism of said application by providing automatic termination of the roll pressure relieving operation for the purpose of avoiding possible injury to the machine in case the operator neglects to return the control lever to neutral position.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved cam means for automatically controlling both advance and retraction of the rolls with reference to the chest, such cam means being of improved form including ways or slots for positive lever operation and avoiding the necessity of utilizing any guide for the lever itself.

A further object is to provide cam control means of the kind described including adjusting means enabling the mechanism to be set for the production of any desired pressure eifect and also including limiting walls for determining the extent of control movement of the hand lever.

A further object is to generally improve the mechanism so as to retain all the advantages described in said application and in addition, automatic control of the pressure relieving operation and with certainty of correct operation of all of the parts.

Further obiectsof the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings, which represent one suitable embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an ironing machine with the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the control devices, parts being in section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, the parts being shown in their positions with pressure applied; Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of the control cam devices, with the parts adjusted to produce relatively heavy pressure; Fig. 4 is a development of the combination control cam; Fig. 5 is a View corresponding to Fig. 3, showing the parts adjusted to give less pressure; Fig. 6 is a similar View, showing the cam in pressure-0E position; Fig. 7 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a detail sectional elevation on the line 9-8, Fig. '7.

While the invention may be applied to any form of ironing machine in which a padded roll or rolls is applied to an ironing memberfor producing the ironing effect, such as one Where the ironing member is a large heated smooth surfaced roll, forconvenience and in no sense of limitation the invention has been shown applied to a machine of theroll and chest type.

The machine shown comprises a suitable frame i supporting a hollow heated grooved ironing member or chest 2, the concavities of which are designed to receive the several padded rolls 3 all driven in the usual manner by gearing marked generally 4 and including a main shaft 5. The rolls are moved into-and out of the pressure applying position shown by the usual vertically movablepressure bars 6 by which they may be lifted out of the c'oncavities of the chest to remove their padded surfaces from contact with the heated chest surfaces, or they may be lowered into contact therewith so as to apply the desirable degree of pressure for the ironing operation.

Pressure bars Ii are operated by lifting rods 1 pivoted to them, said rods at their lower ends having straps 8 embracing'eccentrics 9 on cross shafts iii each provided with a worm gear II driven by a worm 12 on a longitudinally extending shaft 13 driven by gears i l, l5, from a shaft i6. Said shaft at one end is provided with a hand wheel H for hand operation or adjustment of the parts when necessary or desirable, and at its opposite end is provided with connections to a suitable clutch controlled reversing mechanism, such as the usual form indicated generally at I8, Fig. 2. This mechanism, briefly described,

comprises a bevelled driven pinion l9 fast on shaft [6 and coupled to two opposite axially alined loose bevel pinions 20, 2| journalled on a hollow shaft 22 provided with driving connections, such as the sprocket 23 connected by a chain 24 to a sprocket 25 on the main shaft 5. Within the hollow shaft 22 is slidable a rod 26 having a clutch member 27 extending outwardly through elongated slots 28 in the shaft 22 and designed to be engaged selectively with clutch teeth 29 on the inner ends of the two loose pinions 20, 2| to rotatably drive the shaft [6 in one direction or the other according to which pinion, 26, 2|, becomes the active driving member. Rod 26 is shifted back and forth, longitudinally, to produce drive in one direction or the other, by a pivoted lever 30 provided at one end with a fork 3| engaging a grooved collar 32 on the rod, and at its other end with a handle 33. Lever 3U normally occupies an intermediate or neutral position marked A, Fig. 2, but can be moved selectively to either of two end positions, to-wit, the pressure producing position marked B and the pressure relieving position marked C.

To automatically operate the clutch in the manner to be described, and as illustrated in some measure in the said copending application, the present invention provides cam means operated by a part of the roll adjusting mechanism, such as shaft l0, and effective upon lever 30, as at an abutment pin or roller 34, Fig. 8. Of course the several eccentrics 9 are all fixed to the shafts H], as by keys 35, Fig. 8, so that they are relatively timed and in step with each other, as will be readily understood. In the arrangement here shown, the clutch operating means includes two cam members, to-wit, a pressure relieving cam member 36 and a pressure producing cam member 31, Figs. 2 and 8.

Pressure relieving cam member 36 is fixed or non-adjustable with reference to shaft l0. Indeed, in the arrangement shown it is integral with the eccentric 9 at this particular corner of the machine, said eccentric 9 forming the hub for the cam and the key 35 permanently fixing the cam-member with reference to shaft ill.

The pressure producing cam member 31, however, is rotatably adjustable with reference to shaft iii, having a flange or wall 38 lying in a plane normal to the axis of shaft 10 and provided with holes 39 to receive securing bolts 40 passing through elongated slots or openings 4| in a wall of the fixed cam 36. By loosening the bolts 40 and turning cam member 31, it may be adjusted to various positions around the axis of shaft in and fixed in any position by tightening the holding bolts 40, thereby to secure any desired degree of pressure, as will appear. The exact degree of pressure may be indicated in any suitable manner, such as by a scale 42 on the fixed cam member 36, one end edge 43 of the adjustable cam member 31 serving as a pointer with refer erence to the divisions of the scale 42, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

The cam members 36 and 37 are of special form, their outer cylindrical, or partly cylindrical peripheral surfaces being provided respectively with grooves or channels 44, 45, each having a straight portion and an inclined or cam portion as shown in Fig. 4. These channels are defined by inner walls 4t of moderate height and outer walls 4'! of increased height and which serve as stops to limit adjusting motion of the hand lever and insure registration of its abutment 34 with the desired cam groove.

The mechanism described operates as follows:

Fig. 2 in full lines shows the lever 30 in neutral position with the rolls applied with full pressure to the chest. The abutment 34 of said lever lies in the channel 45 of the adjustable cam 31 at position A, Fig. 4.

To relieve the roll pressure, or elevate the rolls out of the concavities in the chest, lever 30 is grasped by the operator, is lifted slightly to raise its abutment 34 above the upper edge of the groove Walls 46 (lever 30 being sufficiently flexible or the pivotal joint in the lever supporting bracket 48 being sufiiciently sloppy for the purpose) and said lever is moved over to position C, Fig. 2, bringing the lever abutment 34 to position C, Fig. 4. The lever is released and its abutment drops into the straight portion of cam groove 44. The clutch has been coupled and shaft [6 is driven in the proper direction to elevate the pressure bars 6. At the same time shaft it] rotates the cams, the effect being to move the lever abutment 34 from position C, Fig. 4 to position A, where the clutch is uncoupled and the roll adjusting movement stops, with the rolls fully out of contact with the chest. This operation is performed whenever it is desired to prevent unnecessary heating of the rolls by the chest, such as might damage the padding, say at lunch hour or when the machine is out of operation for a short period, as well as at the close of the day.

When work is resumed and it is desired to apply the rolls with pressure to the chest, lever 36, again in the neutral position A, Fig. 2, is again raised, but this time it is moved in the opposite direction or to position B, Fig. 2, which moves its abutment 34 from position A to position B, Fig. 4-. Upon release of the lever its abutment drops into the straight portion of cam groove 45. The clutch has been coupled and roll adjusting movement proceeds with the rolls advanced toward the chest until finally, by the effect of the inclined portion of cam groove 45, the lever abutment 34 is returned to the neutral position A, Fig. 4, which uncouples the clutch and terminates the roll ad justing operation, with the rolls applied to the chest with that degree of pressiu'e determined by the setting of the adjustable cam 31. Of course, if the padding packs down in use and it is desired to give the rolls additional adjustment so as to maintain the same pressure, or if it is desired to increase the pressure, the earn 3] is adjusted to a new position in the manner before described.

This mechanism enables both adjustments of the rolls, toward and away from the chest, to be initiated by the operator, but automatically terminates each operation independently of opera tor judgment. As a result, there is no liability of the operator initiating the pressure relieving operation and then omitting to manually return the lever to neutral position so that the eccentrics 8 not only carry the rolls away from the chest but go further and return them to the chest, as will be readily understood.

The cams are of special form avoiding any necessity of guiding means for the operating lever. Their peripheral grooves positively actuate and control the movement of the operating lever when actuated by the machine, and the high flanges defining the outer edges of the cam grooves form limiting stops which insure registration of the lever abutments of the cam groove.

One important advantage of the invention is the simplicity and ease with which it may be attached or adapted to machines already in use. That is to say, there are already in the field many ironing machines of this type each provided with four of the eccentrics 9 for adjusting the rolls and a clutch operating lever 36 which is entirely manually operated, being moved by the operator to either of its clutch closing positions and then being manually returned when the desired roll adjusting movement is completed. By removing the proper one of the eccentrics 9 on such a ma chine and substituting therefor the new eccentric 9 described herein, with the cam members 3'! attached thereto, and providing lever (it with a suitable abutment member, such as shown at 34, the manually controlled machine may be readily converted to a semi-automatic machine.

The roll adjusting movement is initiated manually and terminated automatically, as will be readily understood. Of course, in adapting the invention to such a machine, and setting it up, the time of termination of pressure release is determined by the timed relation of cam member 36 to eccentric 9, these parts being integral with each other, and the timing of the production of desired pressure is produced by adjustment of the cam member 3! in the manner herein described.

Further advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the character described having a chest and a cooperating roll adjustable toward and from the chest, the combination of roll adjusting mechanism, comprising a clutch operated reversible driving shaft for adjusting the roll, two cams operated by said shaft, a clutch operating lever having a neutral position andmovable selectively to either of two clutch coupling positions, in one of which said lever meets one cam and the roll is advanced and in the other of which said lever meets the other cam and the roll is retracted, the met cam being adapted. upon rotation of said shaft to return the lever to neutral position when roll adjustment is completed, the active parts of said cams extending peripherally of said shaft, and that cam which terminates roll advancing movement being adjustable around the shaft axis to vary the time of completion of lever return movement.

2. In apparatus of the character described having a chest and a cooperating roll adjustable toward and from the chest, the combination of roll adjusting mechanism, comprising a clutch operated reversible driving shaft for adjusting the roll, two cams operated by said shaft, a clutch operating lever having a neutral position and movable selectively to either of two clutch coupling positions, in one of which said lever meets one cam and the roll is advanced and in the other of which said lever meets the other cam and the roll is retracted, the met cam being adapted upon rotation of said shaft to return the lever .to neutral position when roll adjustment is completed, each cam having a channel adapted to receive an abutment portion of said lever and the side walls of which channel form its active operating parts, the active parts of said cams extending peripherally of said shaft, and one of said cams being rotatably adjustable around the shaft axis to vary the time of completion of lever return movement.

3. In apparatus of the character described having a chest and a cooperating roll adjustable toward and from the chest, the combination of roll adjusting mechanism, comprising a clutch operated reversible driving shaft for adjusting the roll, two cams operated by said shaft, a clutch operating lever having a neutral position and movable selectively to either of two clutch coupling posi tions, in one of which said lever meets one cam and the roll is advanced and in the other of which said lever meets the other cam and the roll is retracted, the met cam being adapted upon rtation of said shaft to return the lever to neutral position when roll adjustment is completed, each cam having a channel adapted to receive an abutment portion of said lever and the side walls of which form its active operating parts, the active parts of said cams extending peripherally of said shaft, and one of said cams being rotatably adjustable around the shaft axis to vary the time of completion of lever return movement, that wall of each channel remote from the neutral position of said lever being higher than the other wall to form a stop to prevent abnormal lever movement.

HARVEY J. SHIRLEY. 

